The Threshold Child (15 page)

Adesina considered this information for a moment and then put it
out of her mind. Her classmates were already motioning for her to hurry up. She
did her best to endure the remainder of the school day. It was a great trial of
her patience, but she reminded herself that such trials would benefit her in
the long run.

Ravi gazed lazily around the room and out the window, not bothered
by the tedium that agonized the young woman. The ending bell finally rang, and
Adesina suppressed a sigh that was half relieved and half exasperated. She
gathered her things quietly and followed her friends out of the monotonous
little school.

In the schoolyard they were met by several people. Fia was waiting
with a girl that looked perhaps a year her junior. The small girl was the exact
image of Deasa, only ten years younger. She had the same dusky complexion, the
same curly dark hair, and the same intelligent expression. Behind the girl
stood two young men who obviously belonged to the same family. Adesina had
never seen identical twins before, and therefore studied them with interest.
They both had mischievous eyes and rather rakish smiles. They both wore green
sashes, marking them as merchant apprentices.

Deasa gave her brothers a suspicious look. “What are you two doing
here?”

The one closest to the little girl placed a hand on her shoulder.
“We came to walk Aletta home.”

Deasa raised an eyebrow. “Very well, then walk Aletta home.”

The other brother hedged around Deasa’s comment. “Where are your
manners, little sister? Are you not going to introduce us to your friends?”

“You know my friends.”

“Not all of them.” His eyes flickered to Adesina.

Adesina muttered so quietly that only Ravi’s sharp hearing caught
her words, “You would think that no one in this city has ever seen an
Outsider.”

Ravi chuckled. “Most of them have not.”

Deasa heaved an irritated sigh and turned to Adesina. “This is
Adrie of the Northern Tribes. Adrie, these are my older brothers, Felman and
Matias.”

The little girl gently tugged on Deasa’s apron. She smiled. “And
this is my little sister, Aletta.”

Adesina nodded to each of them. Fia walked over to her side and
hesitantly took her hand. She was surprised by this, but did not pull away.
Fia’s smile widened, “Would you like to go see Papa’s shop?”

This seemed to be as good a plan as any, so Adesina nodded. She
bid the others goodbye and allowed Fia to lead her away.

They walked along a new path that Adesina had not yet seen. Ravi
followed silently, keeping slightly back. The dignified bustle of the city
seemed to be at its height during this time of day. Fia led Adesina to the far
end of the Square, further than Jelana had taken her the day before.

Hass’s shop was tucked in between some sort of healer’s clinic and
a lumber shop. Fia walked through the open door without hesitation, as did
Ravi, to Adesina’s surprise. The shop was filled with the evidence of Hass’s
trade: cabinets, tables and chairs, bed posts, and so forth. The pleasant smell
of freshly carved wood met her nose as she stepped through the door. The back
of the room held a workbench that was covered with tools and shavings. It
looked as though Hass had been in the midst of making a rocking chair.

Hass, however, was standing in the center of the room talking to a
tall lean man dressed in an olive green uniform with a dull yellow sash. The
man had bushy, bright red hair and an equally bushy beard. His complexion was
more than fair—he had a pale, wasted look to his face. Although he was
well-muscled, his figure still bordered on thin.

The man turned slightly at their entrance. Adesina met his light
brown eyes and was arrested by what she saw. There was a vigilant and highly
intelligent expression that was both shrewd and deceptively benign. Adesina
instinctively felt that she would need to be wary when near this man, but she
seemed to be the only one who felt anything was amiss. Ravi looked merely
thoughtful as he studied the shop and the people in it. Hass’s body language
spoke of complete ease and Fia waved to him with a friendly smile on her face.
The man smiled back at Fia, and Hass motioned for them to come closer.

“Adrie, I am glad that you came to the shop today. This is Master
Termell. He is the assistant to Master Chatham, the man from whom I purchase
all of my lumber.”

Adesina gave him a polite nod and tried to ignore the fact that he
was studying her with interest. The introductions were interrupted by the
entrance of a middle-aged man dressed in the same uniform as Termell. He was
bald, except for a fringe of brownish hair, and had a long grizzled beard. Hass
hailed him as a friend.

“Ah, Chatham! We were just talking about you. This is Adrie, my
new apprentice. Adrie, this is Master Chatham.”

When Chatham clapped his eyes on Adesina, he froze in place. A
look of distrust and something that bordered anger shone on his face. The
tension in the room was palpable and Chatham seemed to be the only one who knew
the reason why. Termell cleared his throat and Chatham started from whatever
abstraction of thought he had been in. He gave Adesina a curt acknowledging nod
and turned to his assistant.

“The boy is back. I need your help at once.”

Chatham had the presence of mind to raise his hand in farewell to
Hass before hurrying out of the shop. Termell nodded in response to these
instructions, bid Hass goodbye and followed Chatham.

Hass frowned in confusion at this strange behavior, then gave a
slight shrug. He proceeded to show Adesina around the shop. She was told what
days she was to come in and work, where all tools and supplies could be found,
what kind of work would be expected of her, and so forth.

This recital only ended when they were abruptly joined by Gainor.
She was fairly bouncing on the balls of her feet from excitement.

“Mother has given me permission to invite you to dinner tonight,
Adrie! May she come, Master Hass?”

Hass looked strangely reluctant at this request. At some length he
answered, “I suppose that is fine. I will send her along when we are finished
here.”

Gainor thanked him profusely and darted out the door. Hass closed
up the shop and instructed Fia to go home.

“Tell your mother that I will be walking Adrie over to Governor
Ralis’s house.”

Fia did as she was told, and Hass motioned for Adesina to follow
him through the Square. The sun was setting and everyone was heading home for
the day. Ravi walked sedately by Adesina’s side, and she found herself reaching
over to rest a hand on his back. She felt a strange sort of comfort from the
contact. Ravi hummed softly as they passed through the buildings and parks that
led back home.

Gainor’s house was just down the street from Hass’s home. Its roof
was pink, as were the curtains in the windows. Adesina detected a flurry of
movement just beyond the curtains and the door opened to reveal Gainor and a
woman who must have been her mother.

The young woman stepped forward in a rather formal manner.
“Mother, this is my new friend, Adrie of the Northern Tribes. Adrie, this is my
mother, Mistress Donia.”

Mistress Donia and her daughter looked very much alike. Even
though Mistress Donia looked older, she did not look old enough to have a
daughter Gainor’s age. The biggest difference was that the laughter in Gainor’s
eyes had turned to a steely glint in her mother’s. Mistress Donia had the
distinct look of a woman accustomed to being in control.

She gave Adesina a condescending nod and welcomed her into her
home with a flourish of her hand. “Please, come in, Adrie. Master Hass, thank
you for bringing your young charge.”

Hass nodded with the same reluctant look on his face. “Is it just
a family gathering?”

Donia gave a controlled smile. “And a few friends. Please give my
regards to Mistress Jelana.”

Hass took the hint and began to turn away. He briefly touched
Adesina’s elbow. “Do not stay out too late. You have school in the morning.”

She was then herded into the house to meet the ominous group of
people that ruined Hass’s peace of mind. Ravi kept close to her side, but did
not respond to anything going on around them. He acted as if he were oblivious
to the dinner party.

Adesina was instantly met with a number of new faces. There were
two girls with features strikingly similar to Gainor’s, one of which was
hanging on the arm of a disgruntled-looking young man and holding a baby that
was perhaps a year old. Behind them were two elderly couples seated across from
each other. A short, thin man hovered between them anxiously.

Mistress Donia began introductions with the obviously uneasy small
man. “Adrie, my dear, that is my husband, Governor Ralis.”

A sickly smile appeared on his face. “Welcome, young lady,
welcome.”

Next were the two couples sitting by Governor Ralis. “This is
Governor Wadell and his wife, Mistress Caryl. And here is Governor Odinan and
his wife, Mistress Hulda.”

Each of them smiled and inclined their head when named. Donia then
pointed to the young family and the sister standing next to them. “My eldest
daughter, Maret, her husband, Palti, and their son, Mazal. And my other
daughter, Isela.”

Donia gestured to Adesina with a smug expression on her face.
“This is Adrie of the Northern Tribes. A good friend of my daughter, Gainor.”

Adesina understood why Hass had looked apprehensive. This whole
dinner seemed to be a political hothouse, and Adrie was a young and innocent
girl. Adesina, however, suppressed a smile at such an opportunity being
presented so soon after entering the High City. She fixed her face with her
most innocent expression and gave a polite bow to her new acquaintances.

Mistress Donia seated Adesina in a chair between the two
Governors’ wives. Ravi sat down next to her, his expression slightly amused at
the situation, but otherwise unresponsive. The elderly women both leaned in to
engage her in conversation. Mistress Caryl was first to speak.

“I am so pleased to meet you, Adrie, dear. A young face such as
yours is like a fresh wind to my aging heart.”

Mistress Hulda broke in. “Indeed,
my dear
. I am so happy to
see one of the Northern Tribes. I have been honored to know several tribesmen
over the years. They are such an openhearted people.”

The two Governors sat back and watched the scene intently,
allowing their wives to take point on these artful attacks. Adesina wasn’t
entirely sure why, but she had become an object of interest to these powerful
figures.

Governor Ralis rocked back and forth as if unable to contain his
agitation. The attempts at conversation were interrupted by Mistress Donia, who
had enlisted the aid of her two younger daughters to usher the guests into the
dining room and then serve the first course of the meal.

As Adesina took her seat she glanced to see if Ravi had followed
them from the adjoining room. He sat in the doorway, watching them from a short
distance. She inclined her head, silently asking him to come closer, but he
merely shook his head and smiled. It was easier for him to observe from where
he was currently positioned.

Adesina was again seated between Mistress Caryl and Mistress
Hulda. Gainor looked a bit disappointed at this arrangement, but said nothing.

Mistress Donia and her daughters began passing out cups of some
sort of soup. Gainor handed Adesina her cup and gave an uncertain smile. “Are
you enjoying yourself?”

She took the cup and nodded mildly. “Very much.”

Gainor’s smile widened to a grin. “I am glad!”

Adesina sipped her soup politely, saying very little. The two
women next to her continued to fence verbally, each trying to gain an advantage
in the eyes of their young companion. This was carried on until the main course
was served.

Adesina hardly paid attention to the food placed in front of her.
The conversation around the dinner table was so unlike anything she expected
that she turned all of her focus on what was being said. The three Governors
spoke so openly about matters of policy, recent issues that were causing
problems, ideas of city improvement, and so forth, that Adesina was astonished.
The running of the Shimat fortress had always been done strictly and silently.
Those matters that could not be solved by the Sharifal alone involved only
those who were necessary.

Adesina did her best to follow the conversation, but she was
frequently addressed by the women sitting next to her, as well as Gainor and
Mistress Donia.

“I cannot see how that is pertinent to our city, Ralis. If they do
not wish to have a more open line of trade with us…”

Mistress Caryl touched Adesina on the arm. “You know, my dear, I
really must introduce you to my niece. She has always had a fascination with
carpentry. I am sure that you would be good friends.”

Adesina forced a smile. “Yes, of course.”

“Would it be improper of me to ask you to dinner some night? I
mean, I know we have only just met, but I feel a strange sort of kinship for
you.”